by guest critic Gregory Forrest
A new Alan Bennett play is an event. And hospitals – the epicentres of birth and death – are eventful places. Allelujah! is a match made in heaven then.
health
A State of Mind, King’s Head Theatre
by Laura Kressly
Billie has been around. Now in her 60s, she reflects on a life filled with sex, drugs and rock ‘n’ roll. But it’s not always been carefree – looking after her dying mother, dysfunctional relationships and a lack of parental support system meant that from her teen years she largely had to find her own way. Though she grew up in the age of free love, she also saw its dark underbelly and wants to share what she’s learnt along the way.
dominion, RADA Festival
by Laura Kressly
What is ‘romantic’? A candlelit dinner and a bottle of good wine? Or being tied up, gagged and whipped?
To the young couple in dominion, the latter holds the most appeal. But S wants a bit more of the first, and D wants to keep pushing the limits of the second. The men’s love, though genuine, provides a nuanced look at S&M, consent and consequences in this new play by Greg Forrest.
The End of History, St Giles in the Field
Paul (Chris Polick) is a London property developer. He’s a smooth talker and wears impeccably cut, expensive looking suits. He goes to exclusive chillouts where he takes pills and fucks men he doesn’t know. He’s waiting for the clinic to phone.
Wendy’s (Sarah Malin) an art therapist for a few different charities. She’s a liberal activist, and works with homeless people when budgets allow. She and her boyfriend Dave have just split up so moved out and has no where to go. With luggage in tow and work in the morning, she’s reached the end of the line.
I Have a Bad Feeling About This, VAULT Festival
by Laura Kressly
Alice and her husband moved house from a bustling city to sleepy Berkhamsted just 6 weeks ago. She can’t wait to make new friends and get stuck into all that village life offers, even though her new home is hardly trendy like Margate, and none of her friends are willing to visit. The only thing undermining her positivity is that faithful companion Anxiety has relocated with her and threatens to ruin everything.
Mission Abort, VAULT Festival
by guest critic Serena Ramsey
One in three women will have an abortion at some point in their life. The chances are excellent that you know someone who has had one, but being such a taboo subject, we are conditioned to not discuss it.
The Cat’s Mother, VAULT Festival
by an anonymous guest critic
Witty, laugh-out-loud, Irish brilliance: Erica Murray’s London debut of The Cat’s Mother demonstrates how a female-centric production can truly be a hit.
Because We Want To, Rose Playhouse
When Natasha Rickman and Unfolds Theatre were questioned about the motivation behind their cross-gendered Twelfth Night, they had a simple response – “because we want to”.
Hear Me Raw, Soho Theatre
by guest critic Gregory Forrest
Hear Me Raw was perhaps the poshest theatrical experience I have ever had (and that really is saying something). It was a glowing auditorium of bad hair, good genes, and plastic prosecco, followed by a swarm of supportive mums murmuring ‘Oh, isn’t she brave’.
Oh Yes Oh No
Some questions for women:
Is it ok to want to be fucked?
Does wanting this oppose feminism?
Is it ok to want to be hit in bed? Will this man expect that from other women?
Is it ok to fantasise about being raped? What does this mean if I’ve been raped?
Louise Orwin is asking big questions about female sexuality and desire, but she doesn’t have the answers. There are no definitive answers anyway, just individual experiences. To make Oh Yes Oh No, she interviewed dozens of women around the country and found some disturbing patterns – about 90% of the women she met had been raped. Many of them developed rape fantasies. Women struggled to reconcile their feminism with wanting men to dominate them in bed.
The Play's The Thing UK 